In this section we will learn what the strcpy() function is and how to use it in C.

C String Copy: strcpy() Function

Sometimes we want to copy the content of one character-string and place it in another memory location.

This is where we can use the `strcpy` function.

Notes:

• The null `\0` character of the source character-string will be copied as well.
• If there’s a character-string already in the destination memory-location, it will be replaced by the copied character string.
• The prototype of this function exists in the `string.h` header file and so we need to include the header file in order to use the function.

strcpy() Function Syntax

Here’s the prototype of the function:

char* strcpy( char* dest, const char* src );

strcpy() Function Parameters

• The first parameter of the function is the address of the memory location that we want to paste the character-string in there.
• The second argument is the address of the character-string that we want to copy its content.

strcpy() Function Return Value

The returned value of the function is the address of the memory location from which the character-string is placed.

Example: strcpy() in C

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
int main() {

    char destination[100] = "Hi";
    char source[] = "Hello to you";

    strcpy(destination, source);

    puts(destination);

    return  0;
}

Output:

Hello to you

How to use strcpy() in C

As you can see, using the strcpy() function, the entire content of the first argument (first character-string) is replaced with the content of the second argument (second character-string).